Accrediting Association of Seventh-day Adventist
Adventist
Accrediting
Association
Accrediting Association of Seventh-day Adventist Schools, Colleges and Universities
ACCREDITATION HANDBOOK
2013
Department of Education
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, MD 20904
Tel: 301-680-5066
Fax: 301-622-9627
Web:
PREFACE
The Accrediting Association of Seventh-day Adventist Schools, Colleges, and Universities is the accrediting body established by the Seventh-day Adventist Church to provide coordination, supervision, and quality control of its education system. It is responsible for evaluating the implementation of the Seventh-day Adventist philosophy of education in order to foster the unity and mission of the Church[1]. The Association is commonly known as the Adventist Accrediting Association and operates under the acronym of AAA. The association serves the thirteen divisions of the world church and is assisted in its work by the divisions’ directors of education and the educational commissions and committees of each division.
Accreditation is a self-regulatory mechanism of the education community and plays a significant role in fostering confidence in the educational enterprise of the church. Accreditation and the self-study process serve to maintain minimum standards, enhance institutional effectiveness, and provide inter-institutional recognition.
Accreditation is concerned principally with the continuous improvement of educational quality in institutions operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church around the world. Accreditation of an institution by AAA signifies that the institution appropriately provides a Seventh-day Adventist education of sound academic quality to its constituency and has the resources, programs, and services sufficient to accomplish the institution’s goals. Each Seventh-day Adventist educational institution shall seek AAA accreditation.
Like other accrediting bodies, the Adventist Accrediting Association evaluates compliance with defined threshold standards. Consistent with its broad definition of wholistic education in the context of a redemptive goal, the AAA moreover evaluates evidence that the school is comprehensively achieving success in the spiritual domain and that it is truly “Adventist.” Accreditation by the AAA is available only to church-owned schools and degree programs. A variety of indicators are examined to affirm that the overall educational experience furthers the development of the whole person and promotes a biblical worldview. The complete list of standards and criteria for review are detailed in this Handbook.
The accrediting standards used by the Adventist Accrediting Association make up the benchmarks for accreditation. These standards are subject to periodic evaluation and provide consistent guidelines for the evaluation of educational institutions.
Institutions with a track record of maximum accreditation with regional/national bodies are eligible for review using abbreviated standards (Form B). This allows the evaluation team to focus on whether the school is achieving its mission in the spiritual domain and is integrating faith and learning in content areas, worldview and co-curricular elements. Cross-referencing the report done for national/regional accreditation eliminates unnecessary duplication.
As changes occur in the church and in the world, Seventh-day Adventist higher education must embrace and respond to the demands of such change. The international nature of Seventh-day Adventist higher education demands a wide range of attention to international standards by and for international contextualization. For this reason there is no single best system, no one-size-fits-all approach to quality assurance. At the same time there must be assurances that loyalty to Seventh-day Adventist educational philosophy and practice are preserved and that faithfulness to the church’s values, ethos, and mission are strengthened.
In countries where the application of these procedures may seriously compromise the ongoing viability of the institution, because of the requirements of government and educational agencies, it is recognized that while the underlying principles will not differ, however, the application of those principles may vary. [2]
Therefore, in such circumstances the Division Board of Education shall provide to the AAA documentation of the institution’s accreditation from its government, attesting to its academic and professional integrity, and shall relate to the AAA for endorsement of the institution’s spiritual ethos and theological faithfulness. Under all circumstances institutions must maintain allegiance to their position and purpose in the Church.
A key component of the process of accreditation is the Self-Study. Each institution applying for initial or continuing accreditation is required to conduct a self-study of its philosophy, mission, purpose, programs, or services. At the culmination of the self-study, the Association conducts an evaluation visit with a team of professional peer evaluators to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the institution and to evaluate the institution’s effectiveness in reaching its stated goals and in complying with the criteria for review.
The visiting team will supply the AAA board a written report of their findings and make a confidential recommendation for a term of accreditation to be voted by the Adventist Accrediting Association board.
Students and their parents select Adventist education from among other options. Through the accreditation process, the institution demonstrates how it aligns its efforts and resources to provide the best academic education possible—while also nurturing faith in God and preparing students for positions of leadership in their communities and churches. The accreditation process helps the institution accomplish these goals.
Accreditation provides not only accountability for the integration of faith and learning and for quality education, but also serves as a forum for reflection and re-commitment (including financial commitment by governing boards or sponsoring organizations). The process promotes transparency and demonstrates accountability to the constituency. Furthermore, this form of intentional dialogue fosters collaboration and understanding between the work of education and the mission of the Church.[3]
This Accreditation Handbook is the official handbook of AAA and provides details of the accreditation philosophy, the process of accreditation visits, accreditation standards and the expectations of a Self-Study.
The Department of Education
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, MD 20904, USA
Phone: 301-680-5066
Fax: 301-622-9627
Web:
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
ACCREDITING ASSOCIATION OF SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST
SCHOOLS, COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
2010 - 2015
Lisa Beardsley-Hardy, Chair, Director of Education, General Conference
Mike Lekic, Executive Secretary, Assoc. Dir. of Education, General Conference
Larry Blackmer, Vice President for Education, North American Division
Mario Ceballos, Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries, General Conference
Lowell Cooper, Vice President, General Conference
Lawrence Domingo, Director of Education, Southern Asia-Pacific Division
John Dougan, Adventist Risk Management, General Conference (Advisor)
Paul Douglas, Auditing Service, General Conference (Advisor)
Daniel Duda, Director of Education, Trans-European Division
Gamaliel Florez, Director of Education, Inter-American Division
Gerald Grant, Professor, Ontario, Canada
Stephen Guptill, President, AIIAS
Juanita Gurubatham, Director, Institutional Review and Development, ACCSC
Keith Hallam, Director of Education, Potomac Conference
Chiemela Ikonne, Director of Education, West-Central Africa Division
Ellah Kamwendo, Director of Education, Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division
Hudson Kibuuka, Assoc. Dir. of Education, General Conference
Edgard Leonel Luz, Director of Education, South American Division
Barna Magyarosi, Director of Education, Inter-European Division
James Mbyirukira, Education Department, Oakwood University
Andrew Mutero, Director of Education, East-Central Africa Division
Chek Yat Phoon, Director of Education, Northern Asia-Pacific Division
Janelle Pyke, Registrar, Loma Linda University
Nageshwara Rao, Director of Education, Southern Asia Division
Angel Rodriguez, Biblical Research Institute, General Conference
Steven Rose, Vice President for Financial Administration, Walla Walla University
Roy Ryan, Associate Treasurer, General Conference
Benjamin Schoun, Education Advisor, Vice President, General Conference
Luis Schulz, Assoc. Dir. of Education, General Conference
Ella Simmons, Education Advisor, Vice President, General Conference
John Wesley Taylor, Assoc. Dir. of Education, General Conference
Astrid Thomassian, Director of Education, Atlantic Union Conference
Alayne Thorpe, Dean, School of Distance Education, Andrews University
Charles Tidwell, Immediate Past Dean, Affiliation and Extension Programs, Andrews University
Vladimir Tkachuk, Director of Education, Euro-Asia Division
Ken Weslake, Director of Education, South Pacific Division
Tom Wetmore, Office of General Counsel, General Conference (Advisor)
Robert Young, Vice President for Academic Administration, Southern Adventist University
Robert Lemon, Treasurer, Ex-Officio
G. T. Ng, Secretary, Ex-Officio
Ted Wilson, President, Ex-Officio
HANDBOOK UPDATES
The table that follows identifies the dates of publication and implementation of Accreditation Handbook updates. The date of publication will be the date when changes to the Handbook are voted by AAA. On the date of implementation all accreditation visits will operate under the terms of the new updates. By agreement between AAA and individual institutions, new procedures/documentation may be used in advance of the implementation date. Old procedures/documentation will normally not be acceptable after the implementation date.
Please note that updated pages will be sent to all individuals/institutions listed as receiving this initial document and the date of publication will be identified at the bottom of each of those pages. On occasions the date of implementation may precede the date of publication as policy changes may be announced to accredited institutions and published on the website more frequently than the annual update to this handbook.
Date of Publication Date of Implementation
April 8, 2004 January 1, 2005
April 7, 2005 January 1, 2005
April 15, 2012 July 1, 2012
April 9, 2013 April 9, 2014 (Form B)
USE OF THE ACCREDITATION HANDBOOK
The Accreditation Handbook is in four parts. Each part can stand alone and has its own table of contents. However, only the Accreditation Handbook in its entirety explains and outlines the full accreditation process managed by AAA. A table of contents covering the full Handbook will precede Part I.
Users of the handbook may find the following a useful summary of contents.
Part I is concerned with the accreditation philosophy of AAA, its purposes, and the types of accreditation available through AAA. This section is useful to all involved in an accreditation visit as it provides the context for the accreditation visit, explains what should be the focus of the visiting team, and defines the expectations of the Adventist Accrediting Association.
Part II focuses on the accreditation visit, in all its forms, and the roles and responsibilities of all involved in a visit. It also provides a timeline and outline of the final report for a regular accreditation visit. This is a basic manual for both an institution facing accreditation and for the members of a visiting team.
Part III provides information for Form A institutions* on writing the Self-Study and identifies the standards that describe an institution of excellence in this category. It also provides suggestions of issues team members might explore in considering the Form A Self-Study. All involved in a Form A institution visit should be thoroughly acquainted with this section of the Accreditation Handbook.
Part IV provides information for Form B institutions* on writing the Self-Study, and identifies the standards that describe an institution of excellence in this category. It also provides suggestions of issues team members might explore in considering the Form B Self-Study. All involved in a Form B institution visit should be thoroughly acquainted with this section of the Accreditation Handbook.
*An explanation of which institutions will be accredited under the terms of Form A and Form B are given in Part I of the Accreditation Handbook.
A separate document, The Accreditation Process: A Manual for Team Chairs, is available from the General Conference Department of Education for all those asked to chair a AAA accreditation visit.
GLOSSARY
AAA Adventist Accrediting Association of Seventh-day Adventist Schools, Colleges and Universities. The term Adventist Accrediting Association will also be used throughout the Accreditation Handbook to refer to the Association.
BMTE Board of Ministerial and Theological Education. This division level board recommends to the General Conference IBMTE (see below) new programs in theology and pastoral studies and arranges for endorsement of religion/theology faculty.
IBE International Board of Education. This General Conference board approves new programs in all disciplines other than religion/theology and recommends new institutions for candidacy status to AAA.
IBMTE International Board of Ministerial and Theological Education. This General Conference Committee approves new programs in theology and pastoral studies recommended by the division BMTEs and approves processes for the management of pastoral training at division level.
GC General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.
The following two terms will also be used as generic terms throughout the Accreditation Handbook, although in some division territories or institutions different terms are used.
Education Director is called the Vice-President for Education in some division territories.
President is the chief administrative officer of an academic institution. Throughout the world equivalents may include but not be limited to: Principal, Rector, and Vice-Chancellor.
Nontraditional programs, including distance education, refer to the delivery of education via a method other than the “traditional” teacher in front of a group of students in a standard classroom for a standard semester or quarter. Such programs may be delivered to students who are either younger or older than the traditional expectations, to part or full-time students, and may include a variety of modes including but not limited to mail and video correspondence, internet and web delivery, and short-term intensive sessions.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface ii
Board of Directors v
Handbook Updates vi
Use of the Accreditation Handbook vii
Glossary viii
Table of Contents ix
Part I: Philosophy, Purpose and Types of Accreditation
Seventh-day Adventist Philosophy of Education I-3
Aims and Mission I-3
Philosophy I-3
Tertiary Institutions I-3
Seventh-day Adventist Accreditation: Philosophy and Responsibilities I-4
Responsibility for Quality Management and Accreditation I-4
Philosophy of Seventh-day Adventist Accreditation I-5
Accreditation Objectives and Responsibilities I-5
Relation of AAA Accreditation to Government and Regional
Accreditation/Approval I-6
Seventh-day Adventist Accreditation Processes and Benefits I-7
The International Board of Education (IBE) and the
International Board of Ministerial and Theological Education
(IBMTE) I-7
Candidacy Status and Initial Accreditation I-7
Continued Accreditation Responsibility I-8
Expectations of an Accreditation Visit I-9
Changes to Accreditation Status I-9
Extension of Accreditation I-10
Benefits of AAA Accreditation I-10
Types of Accreditation Visits I-11
Regular Accreditation Visit (Form A) I-11
Regular Accreditation Visit (Form B) I-11
Interim Visit I-12
Administrative Review Visit I-13
Focused Visit I-13
Part II: The Accreditation Visit
The Regular Accreditation Visit II-3
Parameters of Visit II-3
Initial Arrangements II-3
Committee Selection II-3
Financial Arrangements II-4
Pre-Visit Expectations II-4
Overall Schedule II-5
Required Documentation II-6
The Accreditation Report II-7
Accreditation Recommendation II-8
Right of Appeal II-10
Accreditation Recommendation for an Institution Facing
Initial Accreditation II-11
Final Report and Accreditation Action II-12
Summary Time Line II-12
The Interim Accreditation Visit II-12
Parameters of Visit II-12
Initial Arrangements (and Committee Appointments) II-13
Financial Arrangements II-13
Pre-visit Expectations II-13
The Visit II-14
Follow-up II-14
Summary Time Line II-14
The Administrative Review Visit II-15
Parameters of Visit II-15
Initial Arrangements (and Committee Appointments) II-15
Financial Arrangements II-15
Pre-visit Expectations II-16
The Visit II-16
Follow-up II-17
Summary Time Line II-17
Focused Accreditation Visit II-17
Parameters of Visit II-17
Procedures II-18
Financial Arrangements II-18
Follow-up II-19
Part III: Institution of Excellence and the Self-Study (Form A)
Institution of Excellence III-3
Institutional Self-Study Functions III-4
Self-Study Process III-4
Self-Study Instrument III-5
Self-Study Section A III-5
Self-Study Section B III-5
Self-Study Section C III-5
Area 1: History, Philosophy, Mission and Objectives III-6
Area 2: Spiritual Development, Service and Witnessing III-8
Area 3: Governance, Organization and Administration III-10
Area 4: Finances, Financial Structure, and Industries III-14
Area 5: Programs of Study III-17
Area 6: Faculty and Staff III-20
Area 7: Library, Resource Centers, and Technology III-22
Area 8: Academic Policies and Records III-25
Area 9: Student Services III-27
Area 10: Physical Plant and Facilities III-30
Area 11: Public Relations and External Constituencies III-32
Area 12: Pastoral and Theological Education III-34
Part IV: Institution of Excellence and the Self-Study (Form B)
Leading Institution of Excellence IV-3
Institutional Self-Study Functions IV-3
Self-Study Processes IV-4
Self-Study Instrument IV-4
Self-Study Section A IV-4
Self-Study Section B IV-4
Self-Study Section C IV-5
Area 1: Mission and Identity IV-6
Area 2: Spiritual Development, Service, and Witnessing IV-9
Area 3: Governance, Organization, and Administration IV-12
Area 4: Programs of Study IV-15
Area 5: Faculty and Staff IV-19
Area 6: Educational Context IV-22
Area 7: Pastoral and Theological Education IV-26
Appendices:
Appendix A: Substantive Change Policy, Processes, and Guidelines 03
Appendix B: AAA Regular, Interim, or Administrative Visit
Responsibilities and Timelines 16
Appendix C: Outline of Accreditation Report 20
Appendix D: Writing Commendations and Recommendations 22
Appendix E: Best Practices for Distance Education 25
Appendix F: Criteria for Review of Research Degrees 29
Appendix G: Accreditation Guidelines for Establishing Schools of
Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmacy 37
Appendix H: AAA Conflict of Interest Policy 75
-----------------------
[1] GC Working Policy, 2010-2011, FE 20 35, pp. 270-274.
[2] GCWP 2010-11, FE 20 55 7.
[3] Beardsley, L. M. (2008). Purpose and function of the Adventist Accrediting Association. The Journal of Adventist Education, 70(4), 15-19.
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